BUSINESS INSIDER - May 1 - When Google Plus launched during the summer of 2011, tens of millions of people signed up for an account. But within months, critics had panned the new service. They said the new social site just wasn't social and that Google was too late to the party. But according to data released this week by Internet analytics firm GlobalWebIndex, Google Plus is racking up large numbers of new users and continues to outpace Twitter as the world's number two social network, behind perennial titan Facebook. It now boasts 359M active users, up 33% from 269M users at the end of June 2012. Facebook boasts 701M active users.
Are Teenagers Abandoning Facebook? [INFOGRAPHIC]
SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY - Apr 23 - Here is another interesting infographic exploring the recent trends for teenagers related to Facebook and social media. The average age of Facebook users has risen from 38 to 41 years old. Teens are increasingly going mobile and Facebook is not their favorite app. Kik Messenger, WhatsApp and SnapChat are grabbing their attention.
Social Networking On Desktops May Have Peaked In 2012
CNET NEWS - Apr 16 - There has been a noticeable drop-off in time spent with desktop social services in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, according to Experian. In 2012, U.S. consumers on PCs spent 27% of their Internet time with social networks and forums, or 16 minutes for every hour. The figure, which doesn't reflect mobile browsing, is actually down 3% YOY. When it comes to mobile, consumers in the U.S. spent 15% of their time using social apps during the first quarter of 2013.
How Pinterest Crushes Facebook
READ WRITE WEB - Apr 16 - Understanding what people do on different social networks is the key to effectively using those networks for marketing. Companies currently spend 8.4% of their marketing budgets on social media, and that’s expected to grow to 21.6% in the next five years. BloomReach’s analysis consistently shows that Pinterest has a higher concentration of people who are in a ‘buy’ state of mind, while Facebook users are more interested in interacting with friends - and brands. Pinterest traffic spent 60% more than did traffic coming from Facebook. Pinterest traffic converted to a sale 22% more than Facebook. The average revenue per visit for Pinterest traffic was more than $1.50. If a company’s goal is to simply reach a larger audience to create or maintain brand awareness, Facebook remains the best option. The best approach is to look for ways to optimize Facebook campaign while expanding Pinterest presence. Both Facebook and Pinterest should become larger parts of the media mix model as visitor referrals from these sites grow.
U.S. Social Ad Revenue To Hit $11 Billion By 2017
MASHABLE - Apr 11 - Annual U.S. social ad revenue is expected to reach $11 billion by 2017, according to a recent study by BIA/Kelsey. The jump would represent a growth rate of ~18% over the next five years. Video and mobile social ads will be the prime motivators for the future growth. The frequent use of Facebook and Twitter on mobile devices will lead the sector to ~$2 billion in revenue by 2017.
by James Dohnert
See full article at Mashable
46% Of Social Login Users Still Choose Facebook
TECH CRUNCH - Apr 9 - According to the latest data from social login provider Janrain, Facebook continues to be the most popular identity provider for social logins, but is starting to lose some ground to Google. Facebook currently accounts for ~46% of social logins on Janrain and Google’s share is 34%. For Facebook, that’s a 3% drop from Q4 2012, however, while Google’s share increased by exactly those same 3%.
LinkedIn More Dominant Than Ever Among Job Seekers And Recruiters
FORBES - Feb 6 - A new survey by Bullhorn, a company that makes technology products for employers and recruiters, shows how powerfully LinkedIn still dominates the world of job search and recruitment. The results of a poll of 1,848 staffing professionals: 98.2% said they tapped some form of social media for recruiting in 2012. That’s up from 94% in 2011. 97.3% used LinkedIn as a recruiting tool in 2012. 19.1%, said they plan to use Google Plus for recruiting this year and 3.6% will use Pinterest. 17% made hires using Facebook in 2012. By contrast, only 13% said they made hires from their Twitter prospects. Graph Search is still in the beta phase, but once it’s fully up and running, it will allow recruiters and job seekers to search for a range of relevant terms. One other area Facebook has yet to penetrate: job listings. In Nov Facebook announced a new job search tool, Social Jobs App, a partnership with the U.S. Labor Department, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). There are also links from the app page to several job search sites like BranchOut and Monster.
Twitter Ranked Fastest Growing Social Platform In The World
FORBES - Jan 29 - 21% of the global internet population now use Twitter actively on a monthly basis. The number of active Twitter users grew 40% from Q2 12 to Q4 12. This is equal to 288M monthly active users. Hong Kong led the growth of active usage, but the USA grew 94% in second place. It was followed by Russia, China, Italy, and South Korea.
Twitter Opening Office In Brazil
MASHABLE - Jan 17 - Brazil is social media-obsessed: It's home to ~65M Facebook users, ~ 40M Twitter users and 29M users on Orkut. Twitter is opening an office in Sao Paulo. Twitter is likely hoping to convince those abandoning Orkut to focus their social energy on Twitter over Facebook.
45% Of Social Networkers Engage With Brands Online
MASHABLE - Dec 20 - According to Forrester Research, ~45% of people on social networks say they have interacted with a brand over the previous three months. Just 7% say they've followed a brand on Twitter and 7% say they've posted feedback on a company's social networking profile.
Social Media Sucking Up Most Of Our Time
PC WORLD - Dec 9 - According to Nielsen’s 2012 Social Media Report, Americans spent 121 billion minutes on social networks between July 2011 and July 2012, up from 88 billion the previous year. Apps captured a large portion of those minutes, accounting for a third of overall social networking time. Facebook is the most-visited social networks, as expected, but time spent on Pinterest increased by ~1000% YOY. Nielsen reports that 76% of users have positive feelings after checking in on social networks. Social media traffic on PCs has dropped 5% in the last year, though time spent on social sites has increased 24%.
Research And Markets: Global Mobile Apps & Social Networking
BUSINESS WIRE - Nov 26 - Research and Markets has released the "Global Mobile Games, Apps & Social Networking- Trends & Forecasts" report.
Key Findings:
- The mobile subscriber base is expected to reach ~6.5 billion by 2012 and 7.5 billion by 2015, with Asia-Pacific and Africa expected to contributed 65% of the total in 2015
- The global mobile revenue is expected to cross $1.5 trillion by 2012, with mobile data expected to contribute ~28% of it
- There will be ~300 billion apps downloaded annually by 2016, 10x more than in 2011.
28% Of Nine And Ten-year-olds In UK Use Social Networking Websites: Study
CBR ONLINE - Oct 18 - 28% of UK 9-10 year olds and 59% of 11-12 year olds are on a social network. Facebook have a minimum age of 13 years, according to a new study. 91% of UK children go online at school when compared to European average of 63%. The report also revealed that UK children are more expected to go online through a mobile or handheld device, placing them as precursors of new risks connected with personal internet access and making defensive supervision by their parents even more difficult.
Enterprise Social Networking Market Heats Up
COMPUTERWORLD - Oct 3 - The current value of Enterprise social networking market exceeds $500M and 10% of organisations in established IT markets have enterprise social networking services, according to Ovum. Jive and Yammer are getting the most looks from organisations considering social networking. Microsoft recently acquired Yammer for $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Salesforce.com recently launched a social media pilot program, while Google announced an attempt to bring social media to the enterprise.
90% Of Small-business Owners Are Networking Online
LA TIMES - Sep 13 - ~90% of small businesses are dedicating time to networking online, according to a new survey by Manta, an online forum for small businesses. 78% say that using social networks s is just as important as networking in person. 42% of businesses reported that a quarter of their new customers came through social-media sites.
by Dalina Castellanos
See full article at LA Times
Cybercrime Hit 42 Million Indians In 2011, Cost $8 Billion
BUSINESS TODAY - Sep 11 - The annual Norton Cyber Crime report estimates that India suffered losses of ~$8 billion due to cyber crime in 2011. Globally, the loss is estimated at $110 billion. 42M Indians have become victims of cyber attacks in the past 12 months. The average daily financial cost per victim is $192, up from $163 last year. Most people make themselves and their friends vulnerable due to their tendency to overshare personal information and links. A fifth of social network users have reported that their accounts have been hacked into. In India, 32% of online adults have been victims of social or mobile cyber crime in the past year.
by Nandagopal Rajan
See full article at Business Today
The History Of Social Networking
DIGITAL TRENDS - Sep 7 - It started with the BBS (Bulletin Board System), a place that allowed users to communicate with a central system where they could download files or games and message to other users. CompuServe began life in the 1970s and allowed members to share files and access news and events. But if there is a true precursor to today’s social networks, it was likely spawned under the AOL (America Online) umbrella. Classmates.com proved almost immediately that the idea of a virtual reunion was a good one. Even today the service boasts ~540M registered accounts. That same level of success can’t be said for SixDegrees.com. Sporting a name based on the theory somehow associated with actor Kevin Bacon that no person is separated by more than six degrees from another, the site sprung up in 1997 and was one of the very first to allow its users to create profiles, invite friends, organize groups, and surf other user profiles. The site folded completely just after the turn of the millennium. Other sites of the era opted solely for niche, demographic-driven markets such as AsianAvenue.com, BlackPlanet.com, and Hispanic-oriented MiGente.com. In 2002, social networking hit really its stride with the launch of Friendster. LinkedIn launched in 2003 and today boasts ~175M members. MySpace, also launched in 2003. Facebook now leads the global social networking pack.
The Future of Social Networks
Take a look at App.Net, a site that’s been described a more open, advertising-free and developer-friendly alternative to Twitter. App.net launched an alpha version back in August, and thus far things seem to be going swimmingly for the site.
Mark Brooks
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